The Evansville “Lighthouse”
Our first winter season married, Michelle and I would often take early evening walks along the downtown Evansville river walk along Riverside Drive. One evening after Wednesday night church, we decided to go take a nighttime walk during a light snow shower. We were joking as I took the picture of what we called the “Evansville Lighthouse” – one of the many small lights along the scenic riverside walking path.
The picture isn’t anything remarkable from a photography perspective. The background is blurry and the picture has a slight haze to it; however, from the right perspective, it actually does resemble a lighthouse. For someone that may not be familiar with Evansville or where its located might actually believe that Evansville, indeed, does have a lighthouse. After all, there’s a picture of it! It would be easy to claim and promote this picture as being of something that it is not.
Just as this picture, we also have the potential to represent things not as they actually are but how we think others want to see them. A good Bible example is demonstrated in the Old Testament when the prophet Micaiah has been asked by the King of Israel, Ahab, about the outcome of an upcoming battle: So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace (I Kings 15-17).
Even God’s chosen man – the prophet of God Micaiah – chose to tell Ahab what he thought Ahab wanted to hear rather than what had been shown to Micaiah by God. As Christians, we must be aware of this spiritual battle and the temptation to promote the picture we think others want to see. Paul even writes that as Christians, we need to Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5). Even in my own life, when I have had burdens, or been in the middle of trials, and even while standing in the church building, I have been asked by others how things are going – and my response has always been “I’m doing fine, and you?”
For whatever the reason – our stubborn pride that doesn’t want anyone to know that we have trials or are living an imperfect life; our inability to admit we have our own shortcomings or failures; or maybe even we feel that our problems are not as bad as others we know – we all have a tendency to be guarded about the truth of how we really are. Instead, we tell people what we think they want us to hear – how our lives are all sunshine and roses – when in reality, we are hurting, suffering, and crying on the inside. Without any sort of thought to it, we have created a “conversation with covetousness” instead of allowing our conversation to be honest. How is it being covetousness? Simply by portraying ourselves or our circumstances as we desire them to be seen and not as they really are.
James wrote that as Christians, above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation (James 5:12). Simply put, when we tell others, especially our church family, that things are fine when they are not, we are not only deceiving ourselves and them, but we are robbing them of the opportunity to Bear ye one another’s burdens as the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles have taught within the New Testament (Galatians 6:2). With an honest conscious, how can we help another with their burdens if we are unwilling to let others see us as we really are and not how we want to be perceived?
The “Evansville Lighthouse” will always be a moment and laugh that Michelle and I share. It will also remain a lesson on perception. The designers of and workers who placed the light fixture along the river walk never imagined that anyone would mistake it for a “lighthouse.” It was never meant to be seen as a lighthouse; it was meant to be a source of light – to illuminate the path along the river walk at night. As Christians, we still fight with the flesh; we will never know of perfection as long as we live this mortal life on Earth. We are not intended to be perfect; with all our imperfections we are intended to show God’s love and grace to others while bringing them to His saving grace.
